Love Santa

I was thinking recently about Christmas gifts from years past. What do I remember receiving from Santa? Here are a few of my favorite things:

My blue bike when I was about 5 (training wheels included of course!) and it would be when I lived in NY when I took off down the sidewalk sans those training wheels.

I unearthed some Christmas morning photos from 1984 and that year I got a Cabbage Patch kid (she had brown hair), Cabbage Patch Kids roller skates, Rainbow Brite and a little rainbow house for her and her pals, Alphie a talking robot, and Strawberry Shortcake boots.

The Duck Pond

It was dubbed "the park that Grandpop took us to" for as long as I can recall. My grandpop and grandmom came to visit us on Long Island and discovered this amazing park with a big ol' pond where there were tons of ducks. We had loaves of bread and sat there for what seemed like hours just chucking bits of bread at the ducks. I was probably 7 or 8 so my sister was about 6, brother about 4 and youngest brother about 2 and we loved it. Afterwards my grandparents would take us out for pizza - Sicilian style (something I thought was purely NY until we moved away) and grandpop would proceed to dump tons of hot pepper flakes all over his pizza. He swore up and down until the day he passed that the pizza he got on Long Island was the best pizza ever. I was only 14 when he passed but between the duck pond, the yummy Italian meals we'd share and all of us diving for pennies in his basement, I have the fondest memories of him. Now I look at my dad and he's the spitting image of his father.

First Holy Communion

I was thinking of my cousin Hannah this afternoon on my drive home. She's 8 years old and in 2nd grade. This spring she'll make her First Holy Communion. Her mom, my cousin Carrie, is super excited to get her the special dress, white mary janes, little patent white bag and all the other goodies that go along with the special day. Has it really been 20 years since my First Holy Communion? It was 1986. I was so excited. This is such a big deal in Catholic tradition...and not just because of the dress and frills but because at that young age, you eat up everything about school and religion. It's all so new and put forth in such a way that you anticipate the sacrament the way you do Christmas presents.

In my family, we celebrate afterwards with little parties. My sister and my brothers got little parties complete with yummy food, checks and cards and when I was old enough to comprehend this I cried and felt gypped because I never had a party. We lived in New York so my day meant mom, dad, brothers, sister and grandparents. It was too far a trek for the extended family to come with presents and money. Now I look back and think how most people don't remember their First Holy Communion. Most people don't remember the party nor the gifts they received. Because my day was stood out and involved a smaller more intimate gathering I remember it vividly.

I distinctly recall the adorable doll my Grandmom and Grandpop gave me. Never a huge doll fan, this one was gorgeous and wore a lavender dress with matching shoes, had long blond hair and bangs and a little bonnet. When I gave my dolls to my sister later, this one stayed. She will forever exist in my head as the Communion gift from my father's parents. They also gave me a check for $50 that my parents and I thought could be put toward a new bike. That is exactly what we did...Drove to Toys R Us and bought my awesome pink Huffy bike. That bike lasted for years.

It was silly to cry about not having a party or not raking in tons of gifts. My celebration was more significant because no one else but me celebrated it in New York and it involved the most important people. And after 20 some years I can still say - those gifts will live on in my memory.

Nanette's

It felt like we went to Nanette's all the time, but probably it was about twice a year that my mom and Nana took us down to New Castle DE for dresses at this warehouse of sorts. It looked like an abandoned factory and when we walked in, were greeted with rows of adorable handmade dresses that seemed to go on (and up) as far as the eye could see. Off to our left - in a top secret employees only room - sat tons of miserable looking old ladies sewing away. Is it possible that at the young age of 5 I had my first peek at a sweatshop? I'll never know.

Looking back, these handmade dresses were gorgeous, the likes of which you don't find today. I sure hope my mom saved a few. Despite the exquisiteness and affordable prices of our glamour, the place still seemed very far (likely 45 min. away) and coincidently, did not have a potty...at least not a public one. Tons of parents hauled their small ones to this warehouse to try on the new fashions. You meant to tell me a children's "boutique," one that clearly markets to the parents of toddlers and girls and boys who can never "hold it in" doesn't have a public restroom?!

Such was the case. So mom and Nana took to bribery: Hold it in, behave, and we'll go to McDonald's afterwards. If it hadn't been for Happy Meals, all hell would have broken loose inside Nanette's. I wouldn't be surprised if other families employed this tactic as well.

Costumes

We always had cool costumes. I was Lucy from Charlie Brown one year. Another year my mom made us Raggedy Ann and Andy (these were ridiculously cute). Mom made me a gypsy costume when I was 7 or 8. Mo was really crafty like that (she was the ONLY one who could do our hair too). When we lived in NY we used to go trick or treating right after school, around 4 or 5, before it got dark. I didn't think this was bizarre since I was young. Only later did I wonder why the little ones went candy hunting so early. Mom said these were the rules. I thought she made that up, but apparently townships can dictate the hours kids (and teens) can trick or treat. Mom hated Halloween but she was a trooper back in the day and took us all around the neighborhood.

The Haunted House

Maybe it's Halloween that makes me remember this one. Summer 1982 (or 1983) and we were at the Jersey shore and my dad takes me and my sister to the Wildwood Boardwalk. I was likely 5 years old so not more than three feet tall. Everyone around me looked like giants. I remember one girl in spiked stilettos and fishnet stockings. We went on tons of rides that evening. Then we came upon a Haunted House - not the kind you walk through but the kind that has a little train that guides you through the spook fest. We were on line - and pretty close to the front - when my sister, scared by the ghosts and goblins and eerie sounds, flakes out. I was livid. All I wanted was to go on this cool ride. Well this nice lady in front of us offers my dad to let me ride with next to her - you know since my sister ruined the experience for everyone. So dad agrees and I sit on the train next to this lady and off we go into the haunted house. Being 5, it was definitely creepy, but in a fun way. I knew it was fake. When the ride ended, we got off and there were dad and Bethann waiting to hear all about my adventure. We didn't get back to our beach house that night until 10 p.m. In these pre-cell phone days, mom was a wreck wondering where on earth we were, if one of us had gotten lost. She never let dad live that one down.

Of course now I wonder why my dad let me ride with a stranger.

Update: My sister has this to say in her defense:
"I was 3...JUST turned 3 because Brian was a baby. I want you to try to convince your 3 year old someday to go on a ride which a smoke breathing goblin with glowing eyes glares down at him. OKAY? THEN claim that I was scared and YOU were brave."

Atari vs. Nintendo

We had Atari first and I think it may have come by way of my uncle. The cool joystick had my Mr. Pacman going in every direction to gobble all the dots and escape the little ghosts. Then in 1989 dad got us Nintendo with Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. It was hooked up to the TV in the parent's bedroom (why on earth did they do that?) but eventually it became obvious that my brother spent more time on it than anyone else and wouldn't give anyone a turn so Betty and Ed intervened and set up rules. You play and when you die, your game and turn are over. Next kid, please. This is how it worked for some time. As far as I know only Brian and I ever saved the princess.

To this day, the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 are my favorite video games.

Chipmunks Concert

I must have been about 6 years old and the Chipmunks came to the Spectrum. My dad took me and my sister and we were pretty high up in the stands but nonetheless, seeing Alvin, Simon and Theodore belt out their many tunes was a treat. When I consider it now, dad had to have been about 30 or 31. WOW. He was so young. How many 30 year old men do I know that take their kids to see the Chipmunks? For whatever reason, dad thought he had $20 but actually did not so this nice lady next to us wrote him a check so he could buy us snacks. I remember that gesture to this day.

Strawberry Shortcake

I was 5 or 6, in kindergarten at Holy Rosary in North Wilmington. My teacher, Mrs. Carroll had this big strawberry that when opened had little compartments for each of your Strawberry Shortcake dolls. A carry all strawberry. Well, all the girls names were entered into a hat and Ron (who coincidently went to Archmere with me many moons later - after I moved and come back to the area) was in charge of drawing the winning girl. Well, all I remember was hearing "Christina" and I could not believe I won the fabulous strawberry. At the end of the day, I packed my little Snoopy backpack and ran out to to my mom who was waiting in the parking lot. The strawberry swayed to and fro in my left hand as I ran screaming, "Look what I won!" and told her all about the contest. I went right home and put Strawberry Shortcake, Lemon Meringue, Huckleberry Pie, Blueberry Muffin, the Purple Pie Man and several others into their new home.

I wonder if that strawberry is still in my parents basement?

I found it listed on eBay with this photo.

Old School Cartoons

My personal favorite (love the heavy metal)...1985 and I was in 2nd grade and would come home from school to watch this show every day at 4:30 p.m.


Another favorite - I wanted to be the Princess.


This one was late 80s...I was sort of past the cartoon infatuation, but nonetheless, who doesn't love this theme song?